When asked why they took up the position of Playhouse reps, Olymphia said it started since M1 because of her interest in the arts. “Although there’s a saying that medicine is both an art and a science, but in M1 and M2, I see more of the science than the art… so I just wanted a balance in my life. That was why I took up playhouse in M1. When it came to M2, I feel there are a lot of hidden gems in our batch who can step up, but I couldn’t find anybody at that point in time. So, I didn’t want to give it up entirely because I feel that it’s my responsibility to pass it on to someone whom I know is capable enough to lead.”

Benedix also added that he felt “the art scene in med school is not very well developed and not as vibrant compared to other faculties.” He took it up because he didn’t want to see the playhouse scene falter for his batch.

One major difficulty faced is that “a lot of our batch mates will go on holidays and overseas CIP and we can’t stop them from doing so. So, we have to manage our expectations and inform them early about their commitment.”

On their favourite moment in their medical school journey so far:
Olymphia: “It was when I went for the movie marathon last year after M1 CA2! It was really very fun, you get to movie-hop, stay over with your friends and chill.”
Benedix: “My favourite part is generally when I interact with my batchmates. I find that the med school cohort is full of dynamic individuals, a lot of people with very interesting mindsets and thoughts. You get to see many different groups of people, interact with them, not just for work but also on a personal level. I think these opportunities help to generate a lot of very nice moments where you understand others better. It’s a very enriching experience!”

Some interesting facts:
Olymphia got her name because she was born on the leap day, 29 February, which occurs once every 4 years, similar to the Olympic Games!

Benedix grew up in UK, so he’s used to not working on weekends. He didn’t even study on weekends in M1, until towards the PROs period, and that was when he felt his life was changing!

As a snippet, the M2 playhouse will be a “social commentary of Singapore’s political scene, brought to life in a traditional environment; a political satire of Singapore that’s like a little throwback to the past.”